Abstract
This paper presents results of the effect of different translation modalities on users when working with the Microsoft Word user interface. An experimental study was set up with 84 Japanese, German, Spanish, and English native speakers working with Microsoft Word in three modalities: the published translated version, a machine translated (MT) version (with unedited MT strings incorporated into the MS Word interface) and the published English version. An eye-tracker measured the cognitive load and usability according to the ISO/TR 16982 guidelines: i.e., effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction followed by retrospective think-aloud protocol. The results show that the users’ effectiveness (number of tasks completed) does not significantly differ due to the translation modality. However, their efficiency (time for task completion) and self-reported satisfaction are significantly higher when working with the released product as opposed to the unedited MT version, especially when participants are less experienced. The eye-tracking results show that users experience a higher cognitive load when working with MT and with the human-translated versions as opposed to the English original. The results suggest that language and translation modality play a significant role in the usability of software products whether users complete the given tasks or not and even if they are unaware that MT was used to translate the interface.
Highlights
The software and localization industries face long-term business challenges
Our overarching question was What is the impact of translation modality on the user experience?, and we articulated this through four research questions
The results show that the variable Effectiveness is not significantly different according to the translation modality for the DE and Japanese group (JA) groups the completion percentages are higher for the HT scenario
Summary
The software and localization industries face long-term business challenges. According to Statista, global software market revenue is projected to be 466.8 billion US dollars for 2019, rising to 507.2 billion US dollars for 2021 and according to Nimdzi’s Software Localization Report, the software sector has a growth rate of 8.3% and is the fastest-growing sector in the global IT industry. The market size of the global language services industry is projected to reach 51.8 billion US dollars in 2021.3 In parallel, there are continuous advances in machine translation (MT) technology (Vaswani et al 2017), and full implementations of MT solutions in the translation workflow.. The market size of the global language services industry is projected to reach 51.8 billion US dollars in 2021.3 In parallel, there are continuous advances in machine translation (MT) technology (Vaswani et al 2017), and full implementations of MT solutions in the translation workflow.4 It is, only logical to examine how the use of translation technology in the localization of software products impacts the user experience and, the commercial viability of a product. It is widely accepted that raw MT contains errors and so, where it is employed, we need to understand how linguistic quality impacts the user experience
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
